Sensor breakthrough paves way for groundbreaking map of world under
Earth surface

Date:
February 23, 2022
Source:
University of Birmingham
Summary:
An object hidden below ground has been located using quantum
technology - a long-awaited milestone with profound implications
for industry, human knowledge and national security.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
An object hidden below ground has been located using quantum technology
-- a long-awaited milestone with profound implications for industry,
human knowledge and national security.


========================================================================== University of Birmingham researchers from the UK National Quantum
Technology Hub in Sensors and Timing have reported their achievement in
Nature. It is the first in the world for a quantum gravity gradiometer
outside of laboratory conditions.

The quantum gravity gradiometer, which was developed under a contract for
the Ministry of Defence and in the UKRI-funded Gravity Pioneer project,
was used to find a tunnel buried outdoors in real-world conditions one
metre below the ground surface. It wins an international race to take
the technology outside.

The sensor works by detecting variations in microgravity using the
principles of quantum physics, which is based on manipulating nature at
the sub-molecular level.

The success opens a commercial path to significantly improved mapping
of what exists below ground level.

This will mean:
* Reduced costs and delays to construction, rail and road projects.

* Improved prediction of natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions.

* Discovery of hidden natural resources and built structures.

* Understanding archaeological mysteries without damaging excavation.

Professor Kai Bongs, Head of Cold Atom Physics at the University of
Birmingham and Principal Investigator of the UK Quantum Technology Hub
Sensors and Timing, said: "This is an 'Edison moment' in sensing that
will transform society, human understanding and economies.



========================================================================== "With this breakthrough we have the potential to end reliance on
poor records and luck as we explore, build and repair. In addition,
an underground map of what is currently invisible is now a significant
step closer, ending a situation where we know more about Antarctica than
what lies a few feet below our streets." Current gravity sensors are
limited by a range of environmental factors. A particular challenge is vibration, which limits the measurement time of all gravity sensors for
survey applications. If these limitations can be addressed, surveys can
become faster, more comprehensive and lower cost.

The sensor developed by Dr Michael Holynski, Head of Atom Interferometry
at Birmingham and lead author of the study, and his team at Birmingham
is a gravity gradiometer. Their system overcomes vibration and a variety
of other environmental challenges in order to successfully apply quantum technology in the field.

The successful detection, realised in collaboration with civil engineers
led by Professor Nicole Metje of the School of Engineering, is the
culmination of a long-term development programme that has been closely
linked to end-users from its outset.

This breakthrough will allow future gravity surveys to be cheaper,
more reliable and delivered 10 times faster, reducing the time needed
for surveys from a month to a few days. It has the potential to open a
range of new applications for gravity survey, providing a new lens into
the underground.

Professor George Tuckwell, Director for Geoscience and Engineering
at RSK, said: "Detection of ground conditions such as mine workings,
tunnels and unstable ground is fundamental to our ability to design,
construct and maintain housing, industry and infrastructure. The improved capability that this new technology represents could transform how we map
the ground and deliver these projects" Dr Gareth Brown, joint Project
Technical Authority for Quantum Sensing and Senior Principal Scientist
at Dstl, said: "For national Defence and Security, accurate and rapid measurements of variations in microgravity open up new opportunities to
detect the otherwise undetectable and navigate more safely in challenging environments. As gravity sensing technology matures, applications
for underwater navigation and revealing the subterranean will become
possible." The breakthrough is a collaboration between the University
of Birmingham, environmental, engineering and sustainability solutions
provider RSK, Dstl (the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, part
of the UK Ministry of Defence), and technology company Teledyne e2v. The project is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the
UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, and under contract from the Ministry of Defence.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Birmingham. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Stray, B., Lamb, A., Kaushik, A. et al. Quantum sensing for gravity
cartography. Nature, 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04315-3 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220223111238.htm

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